Real Family
by supersissy
Summary: Sure they would ask. To them, they were more of a family than blood could have provided. They cared what was happening to her when she was gone for months, or she came to school with fresh bruises littering her body.


**I had to get this idea out. I hope you guys like it... there might be a few mistakes ignore those...lol enjoy**

* * *

Even when she had been gone for weeks at a time, they would respect that she didn't want to explain the sling her arm rested in, the one that shouldn't have been broken in the first place.

Sure they would ask. To them, they were more of a family than blood could have provided. They cared what was happening to her when she was gone for months, or she came to school with fresh bruises littering her body.

But they respected that she didn't want to tell them yet.

Trusting them wasn't her problem. Artemis trusted them without a doubt in her mind; for once she was sure they wouldn't leave her. The problem was that she didn't want to shove the horrible burden of her life onto their shoulders. They all had their own problems.

Charlotte was a tall red head with burn scars running up her arms and legs that she had only let her four best friends see. When she was seven a pyromaniac had lit her house on fire; out of a family of six she was the only one to make it out. Now she lived with her drunken aunt who would run off with men half her age and be gone for weeks at a time.

Almost all of Ben's black hair was a neat blanket on top of his coffee colored skin; he liked it short and clean just like he wanted his life to be. Save his grandma, his entire family was spending 8 to 12 in prison for gang fights and drugs. That included his two older brother's, father and mother, two aunts, and uncle. His grandma refused to believe that he wouldn't make the same mistakes and chose to mostly ignore his existence.

Terra was the love child of one of Gotham's most prestigious business owner. Her mom only kept her as insurance that she would get as much money as she could from the man; if it were known he had a daughter with anyone but his wife he would be ruined. (Most of the money was spent on booze and cigarettes.) Terra's long brown hair hung halfway down her back in natural curls. Easily she was the most closed off, beauty just about anyone had ever seen.

To put it simply, home wasn't Adams favorite place to be. When he was home he was avoiding the countless women his dad would bring home since his mom took off. His dad didn't like to look at him because he had the same dirty blond hair and green eyes that his mom had had. When there were no women to distract him, his dad would sit him down and slur drunkenly about how much he had loved his mom.

The four of them knew that Artemis' life was worse.

* * *

None of them typically showed up at school with a six inch long gash, which almost reached the bone, in their thigh that would start bleeding in the middle of Algebra II. But Terra would slip out of the room saying she had to pee right after Artemis left under the pretense of lady troubles.

While she helped Artemis re-stich the wound simply stated, "You're not going to tell us this time either are you."

With a brisk laugh Artemis would respond, "Not this time butter ball." She was always calling Terra a different nick name.

* * *

Only Artemis had shown up at Ben's window in the middle of the night during a pouring rain storm, shaking from cold, soaking wet. A red mark, turning dark purple on the edges now, in the form of a fist on their cheek bone. She had crawled into the room and sat their silently till the loud rumble of thunder made her jump. Ben had taken his blanket off of his bed and wrapped Artemis up in it, then in his arms-humming softly the old tune that his grandma used to sing to him-till both of them were asleep.

The next morning he woke up wrapped in the blanket himself, Artemis nowhere in sight.

Adam didn't find Terra, Charlotte, or Ben running down the street, dressed in black, with a large stack of fifty dollar bills sticking out of her pocket.

"Art, where did you get all that?" he'd asked, eyebrows drawing up in confusion.

She looked down at the money, then back up at him, completely ignoring the question, "Why on earth are you out at this time of night?" She turned the attention to him, "Don't you know how dangerous it is!? I can't believe you Adam; do you want to get killed?"

Without breaking eye contact he made a proposition, "I'll tell you if you tell me why you're out here at two o'clock in the morning… with a huge wad of cash."

She shook her head almost in a teasing way, "Go home Adam. Get some sleep and don't let me catch you out here again." She stepped forward and gave him a hug. He turned around took a step, then spun back around to tell her that one day she was going to tell him all her secrets, only to find her already gone. Later that night he would find two hundred dollars in his hoodie pocket.

* * *

Even after it happened for the third time Charlotte never expected Artemis to show up at her door-always when she was home alone-and demand that she make her some of her famous mac-n-cheese after she had been gone for a few days up to a few weeks. The noodle concoction really wasn't famous, it was the local food stores knock-off brand of mac-n-cheese; Charlotte would just add hot dog slices and a can off chili, when it was all mixed it truly looked repulsive, but it did taste amazing.

Soon they would be sitting on the couch and Artemis would wince when she bent to pick up the remote, she would suck in a deep breath of air and place one hand on her ribs. Or Charlotte would catch a glimpse of Artemis' cracked and bloody finger tips as she tried to gently hold her spoon.

Being the concerned friend she was Charlotte would make Artemis show her the injury. Without a fight Artemis would comply, even though she would continuously insist that she was fine, she'd been threw worst.

The first two times this happened Charlotte held her tongue. The third time she stopped wrapping Artemis' ribs and without looking up said, "The thing that worries me most, is that I believe you have been through worse. We all know you have." Then Artemis would avoid her eyes and let her finish wrapping her up before they sat down to their food again.

On a commercial break Artemis would look over at Charlotte and grab her hand, "You know I love you right. Without you I don't know how I would get through."

Charlotte would squeeze her hand and tell her, "We are a family, and when you're ready, we're all here to help you in any way we can. That's what family's for, and we are family."

Artemis would nod her head turn her attention back to the TV as Hello Megan came back on.

Still holding on to Charlotte's hand.

* * *

They knew that all of them had problems. But they had also realized that Artemis' problems were a lot worse, and a lot harder to deal with than theirs were.

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**So I dont know if I should continue this story... I guess if you guys want me to I will, so please review! If I do continue I have a few ideas about what will happen, but I love suggestions. I hope you liked it :)**


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